


No, You Are Not Alright.

by Pound67



Category: N/A - Fandom
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bad Days, Big Brothers, Brotherly Affection, Brotherly Love, Brothers, Crying, Dark, Depression, Eventual Happy Ending, Family, Family Bonding, Family Drama, Family Feels, Happy Ending, Little Brothers, Little Sisters, My OC - Freeform, My OCs, My original character - Freeform, No Incest, No Sex, No Smut, Not Incest, OC, Original Character - Freeform, Original Character(s), Original Characters - Freeform, Other, Sad, Sad and Happy, Sad with a Happy Ending, Self-Harm, Triggers, Yikes, bad, brother, mine, myoc - Freeform, myocs - Freeform, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-12
Updated: 2018-03-03
Packaged: 2019-02-13 20:16:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12991713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pound67/pseuds/Pound67
Summary: Short stories of my OCS with angst and sibling drama





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> There will NEVER be incest in my stories!!! And it is only a family-bonding-support-dynamic. There will be angst and triggers in this so PLEASE DO NOT READ IF SELF-HARM OR IMPLIED SELF-HARM TRIGGERS YOU.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ace discover's Amelia's been self-harming again, so he drags her to Cody for some good ol' therapy

"Amelia."  
She freezes, hand hovering just above the door handle leading her to her room. She cringes, but straightens immediately, so fast that if it were anyone but Ace or Cody, a normal person would have missed it.  
Ace walks angrily toward her, but stops short, remembering Cody's advice on how to approach people.

'Remember, if you storm towards people like that, they'll assume they did something bad and try to run. Just, walk normally, casual, like your walking down the street.'

Ace sighs before taking another few steps, until he's in front of Amelia, but far enough away to where it doesn't look like he's going to murder her in the hallway.

Amelia clears her throat and looks up at him, trying her best impression of an impatient doe, wanting to hear what he has to say, then bolt as soon as he starts talking.  
Ace glares down at her, and after a moment, he slumps his shoulders and holds out his hand. Amelia looks at him with a confused expression, but she's not fooling anyone, let alone Ace.  
"Hand it over Amy. You can't fool me." he whispers sadly  
Amelia pulls up the confused expression, and Ace sighs again  
"Please Amelia, just hand it over and I won't tell Cody. Just. Please." Ace looks hurt, like he's about to cry, but he keeps his hand out expectantly.  
"What are you-"  
Before she can say anything else, Cody turns down the hallway, but stops short when he sees them standing there.

He takes a moment to look between Ace's outstretched hand and Amelia's pale face then his eyes scrunch up and he makes such a sad face that Ace and Amelia flinch and look down at the carpet.

Cody lets out a sigh and walks down the hall, waving a finger for them to follow. They wordlessly follow him into the room at the end of the hall and Cody pushes it open and takes a seat at the large desk cluttered with papers.  
Amelia sits stiffly and Ace plops into the chair next to her with a tired sigh.  
Cody looks at Amelia and she glares back, not backing down. After a moment of tense silence and glaring, Ace scoots his chair closer and wraps his ankle around Amelia's in a gesture of comfort.  
They sit there for a few more seconds before Cody sighs and breaks eye contact to look down at the messy desk.

"Why." is all he asks

Amelia remains silent for a minute, and Ace slips his hand over to hold hers and gives a gentle squeeze.  
"I-it-it-it was-it was getting..." she stutters as her nerves choose now to finally make an appearance.  
Ace squeezes her hand again and glances at her worriedly.  
She takes a deep breath and starts again  
"It was, it was getting better, for months. Months Cody. It was months. It got better...then it got worse."  
She looks down at the carpet as her eyes blur to the point where she can't see anything, and Ace gets up and crouches in front of her, wiping her cheeks and shushing her gently. But it only made the tears come faster.

She feels bad.  
Bad for making Cody sad.  
Bad for making Ace worry.  
She felt bad, and Ace's comfort was making her feel even more guilty.

The tears turned into small hiccups, then sobs, and finally she fell towards Ace, crying like a baby.  
He caught her with open and waiting arms, and she cried into his shirt for an eternity.  
He just hummed and ran his hand down her hair, his other hand clutching her waist tightly.  
When her crying started dying down, Ace stood up, but Amelia panicked, letting out a desperate sob, grabbing his shirt and trying to pull him back.  
He only shushed her and pulled her up, then moved behind and sat back onto the chair, then pulled her down onto his lap.  
Once they were settled, Ace wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.  
Cody smiled at them, his expression a mix of sadness and exhaustion.  
He looked to Amelia, waiting for her to start again. She took a deep breath and Ace gave her a quick reassuring squeeze  
"I-it was going fine the last three-no, four months, but a few weeks ago, it kinda, trickled back in, and-and earlier today, he-he" she stutters again, so Ace begins to rub his hands up and down her arms to ground her.

She shutters, but continues, glancing around the room to avoid Cody's piercing gaze.

"He called. Today. I-I don't-didn't know what to...what to do. He only talked about work, and-and that voice" her voice wavers and Ace tightens his hold when she starts shaking  
"That voice just-burst-busted forward and it was so loud and I-I dropped the phone and then I. I-"

She stops and Ace can feel warm droplets fall onto his arms, and he runs his fingers through her hair again and again until the trembling eases.  
"Its alright, you can stop if you want to." Ace says, leaning forward

Amelia nods and Ace feels more tears land on his arm.  
He keeps his hand running through Amelia's wavy hair, and after a few minutes, she slowly relaxes.

"Amelia." Cody looks at her, and she meets his gaze determinedly through the tears  
"Do you want to continue the sessions with Ace or no?"

She tenses, and immediately blurts out a 'yes' then curls against Ace's chest protectively, gripping his shirt as if she's scared he'll disappear if she lets go.  
Cody and Ace smile at each other, and Cody continues, still smiling at Amelia

"Of course, I just wanted to know. It seems to be beneficial to both of you" he gives Ace a pointed look and Ace just smiles sheepishly.

"Alright then, Amelia, if you would."

Amelia goes stiff as a board, but slowly gets up and reaches into her pocket and pulls out her fist  
Ace puts his hand under hers and puts his other one on top, so he's enclosing her hand in both of his. After taking a deep breath, Amelia opens her hand and the blade falls into his open waiting palm.

He feels a weight settle in his chest as he closes his hand, but he just gives Amelia a proud smile and stands, throwing the metal into a garbage can  
Cody raises his eyebrow, but Ace just raises his eyebrows in response. Cody sighs and slumps into his chair, and Ace grabs Amelia's hand and leads her to the door.

As they walk down the hallway, Cody hears Ace ask 'movie night?' and Amelia gives a small laugh.

Later that evening, Cody finds Ace and Amelia slumped against each other on the couch, snoring lightly as George of the Jungle plays in the background, and Cody smiles proudly, because Ace really does loves his sister.


	2. Therapy and Awkward Sleepovers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ace and Akil discover things about each other that they would rather keep secret, and brotherly angst and bonding ensues.
> 
> Based off of the person A and B prompt thing  
> 'Are you ok?'  
> 'Like your standards ok or my standards ok?'

Ace: Are you ok?

Akil: You mean like your standards ok or my standards ok

"Geeze kid, that's a little dark there, doncha think?"

"Well, you asked."

"Well, I thought you'd be like 'I'm fine' and walk away or whatever!"

"When have I ever done that?"

"I don't know! Normally you hide your feelings from everyone, like 'conceal don't feel don't let them know' kinda crap!"

"Tt. I simply do not see the point in disclosing my emotional state to you barbarians."

"Oh my god, am I gonna have to look out for two suicidal kids now?" Ace throws his hands in the air in mock exasperation.

"..."

"Aki?"

"..."

"Akil. Answer me."

"..."

"Oh god. No. No. Nonononono no. You can't be,"

Ace's voice shakes ever so slightly as his eyes flicker to and fro, pained expression on his face, before he turns back to Akil, trying to catch the younger boys expression, but he only lowers his head further

"Buddy. You can't be...no"

At this point Ace's eyes are watering and he kneels down to grab Akil's chin and force his head up so he can look at him. Akil's face is void of any emotions, and when he speaks, it's chillingly calm

"I am not suicidal, Ace. Granted, there were times back home when I was on missions and I was reckless with my life and I wished it would stop, that everything would just stop, and I could sleep for the next five years, but I no longer think like that."  
Ace remains silent as he stares at those emotionless eyes, eyes which seem angry and scathing with a hint of sadness, and when he blinks, it's all gone. It then hits Ace that Akil doesn't think of this house as home, even if it's only been a few weeks since he moved here from Dubai, and against his will, a wave of anguish washes through him and he's stunned into silence.

Akil repeats himself

"I am not suicidal. I find it completely pointless to go about life wallowing in-"

"I know kid. I know you think your not, but we need to be sure." Ace holds up his hand in a 'stop' motion before Akil can deny it and scold him for being ridiculous.

"Look kiddo, I don't know what's going on in that little head of yours, but it's always better to be too safe than too sorry. C'mon, I'm gonna take you to Cody"

Ace stands and walks around Akil without looking back, knowing that if he tries to grab him or touch him he'll only be nursing a few broken fingers afterwords. He also knows that if he doesn't acknowledge him, Akil will follow without protesting too much, so he does just that and continues walking up the staircase and down the hall, Akil catching up halfway down the long corridor.

They both say nothing and when they reach Cody's office, Ace knocks and waits before hearing a muffled 'come in' from the other side. He takes a deep breath before slowly pushing the heavy, dark-oak door open and stepping inside. Cody is hunched over his desk, and only gives the boys a grunt in acknowledgement while he scribbles complicated formulas down on a notepad, occasionally scribbling something out in frustration. Akil silently follows Ace in and they both take seats at the two plush chairs opposite of Cody. Twenty seconds pass, then a minute, then two minutes, and then Ace does the only thing he knows how to do in extended periods of silence,

Start to squirm.

After a few more minutes of rustling fabric and eyes shifting around the entire room, Cody gives a long, tired sigh and peers at Ace through the mountains of paperwork on his desk. This however, only seems to make it worse, and Ace shifts his body so he's partly facing Akil, and facing away from Cody's expectant glare.

After a few awkward moments of this, Cody sighs again and puts his pen down, then folds his hands on the desk, and Ace subtly shifts himself so he's once again facing Cody

Without missing a beat, Cody smiles brightly and asks

"What can I do for you boys? Your not fighting are you?" He gives a disapproving frown

"No, no, we're not fighting. Uh, actually, it's about the kid" Ace points at Akil as if to reinstate his sentence.

"Well, uh, we were talking, downstairs-just now, and uh-"

"Just tell him you simpleton" Akil growls, giving him a fierce glare before turning to Cody with an annoyed expression

"He thinks I am suicidal. I have reprimanded him twice, but he refuses to listen, and insisted on dragging me here."

If Cody is surprised, then he doesn't show it, but Akil notices him lean forward ever so slightly.

"I asked him about it, and he said that he 'use to be' suicidal, and I know that it doesn't just stop, so yes, I dragged him here, so he could get help." Ace finishes, facing Akil, and glaring just as much

Cody looks between the two boys trying to stab each other with their eyes and decides to experiment a little

"Alright, I have an idea. Ace," Cody looks pointedly at Ace

"You're going to do group therapy sessions with Akil."

Immediately, both boys opened their mouths and started talking at the same time 

"No-"

"I refuse to do something so ridiculous with this neanderthal."

"What he said. No way." Ace crosses his arms and sinks down in the chair so his head is pressed against the top

Cody ignores the protests from them and continues in a slow voice

"I think it would be, beneficial, to both of you. So, starting out, I want Akil to say something personal to open up a bit"

Akil remains silent, and Cody knows he won't talk until someone else does, so he takes the reins again

"How about home? Have you ever been...injured? At home?" He prompts carefully

"...I died."

It's barely a whisper, but both Cody and Ace hear it. Ace's eyes widen into shock, then horror, then into disbelief

"What." Ace deadpans after a minute of silence

"I died, I came back, can we please move on to the next question" Akil says, annoyed, but with a tiny sliver of panic worming itself into his voice

Akil wants to slap himself when he realizes that Cody didn't miss it either, so instead he shifts in his seat

"How did you come back?" Cody asks softly

"Look, I'm already breaching several laws against saying that, now can we, just. Move. On."

He says it with force, but it's strained and the sliver of panic has grown and he's sure it's very visible now.

Cody sneaks a short glace at Ace and finds something he doesn't expect to be there

 

Ace can't breathe. He tries to inhale in, and out. In, and out.

But nothing is coming in, his mind is reeling, and his body is struggling to get just one tiny inhale of oxygen.

His mind is reeling.

Dead? How is he dead? How did he die, he's right here! He's right here damn it! He couldn't have died! HE'S RIGHT HERE DAMN IT!

His mind is screaming at him to be rational and take a breath god damn it! but he can't seem to find it in him to do either of those things. He believes Akil, one hundred and ten percent to the grave, but he's confused as to how he died when he's sitting right next to him.

Suddenly, the mangled body of a young boy flashes through his mind, and then he can breathe again, and he's jumping out of his chair and knocking it to the ground at he stares at Akil, eyes wide, but all Ace can see is a mangled, bloody, rain-soaked body as it lays on the road, lifeless eyes staring ahead into nothing

And then Ace is running.

Down the stairs, out the door, down the street, into the rain,

Into the road

Into the god damned road

The road.

Not the road. Please, god, not the road.

Not the road.

When Akil and Cody finally catch up to him, he's on his knees, shaking so hard he looks like could fall over at any second, dripping wet and shaking, looking up at the sky, eyes wide

Oh god.

It's raining.

It's raining.

It's raining.

It's the only thought Ace can think of right now, mind stuck in a loop that he can't break out of.

It's raining.

Just like that day.

Ace shakes even harder and he can't breathe again, and oh my god it's raining

Akil looks at Ace, surprise freezing him to the spot, but he shakes it off and reaches out to grab him, but Cody bellows out, somewhere behind him

"DON'T TOUCH HIM! HE'S IN SHOCK!"

Then closer, and quieter, and a little panicked

"If you touch him he might start thrashing and could injure himself"

"How do we get him out of it?" Akil mentally slaps himself when his voice shakes, but says again, this time with more force

"How to we stop it god damn it!"

"We need to-we need to shock him out of it. Surprise him enough to snap out of it" Cody swallows dryly as he racks his brain for something, anything that might help them

A moment passes, and Akil takes a deep breath and launches forward, ignoring Cody's cry of warning and not allowing himself to think of what he's doing before he reaches Ace and roughly cups his hands on his cheeks then smashes their lips together

It's raining.

I can't breathe. I can't breathe I can't -

Ace blinks, and suddenly, Akil is there, their mouths linked, and Ace's brain crashes before rebooting, and in an instant, he's pushing Akil off him and falling backwards and scrambling to back away, soaked to the bone

Akil lets him retreat, mind going into overdrive about what he just did, and he has to suppress a shiver because my god, that was discussing, I just kissed my brother, but he stubbornly crosses his arms and glares at Ace while chanting over and over in his head

I did it to help him. I did it to help him. I did it to help him. I did it to help him.

In a twisted disgusting display of stubbornness, he doesn't wipe his mouth.

But Ace does.

He hacks and spits and gags, and when he finishes, he glances at Akil, but quickly looks away, then notices Cody standing off to the side, eyes wide, stiff, and like everyone else, soaked to the bone.

A beat of silence engulfs them, and all Ace can hear is the sound of pouring rain in the background as he feels the awkward swallow his entire soul, so instead of acting like an idiot and embarrassing himself further, he stands stiffly, turns, and walks back to the house like a nutcracker with it's arms glued straight, swinging forwards and back like a toy soldier.

As soon as he crosses the threshold, Ace bolts up the stairs to his room, not bothering to close the front door as he locks the deadbolt and slides down his door, face burning to the point of pain.

He doesn't stay there for long, and after two minutes of sitting on the floor, he shakily stands and dives into his blankets, intent on sleeping away everything that just happened.

 

Akil looks in the mirror, leaning closer and inspecting his lips

Making sure he doesn't catch stds, he keeps reminding himself.

After a few more minutes, and when he's satisfied a giant rash won't suddenly appear on his skin, he exits the bathroom and makes his way to the stairs, making sure he's extra quiet walking past Ace's room, and down to the kitchen. He lazily flicks the lights on and swings around the corner into the kitchen, only to freeze when his eyes meet with a pair of shocked light brown ones.

They stand there for what feels like an eternity, Ace in black sweatpants and nothing else, holding a maple donut bar, which, Akil notes, it slowly being crushed between his fingers.

Another round of long silence ensues before Akil clears his throat and Ace finally completely crushes the Maple bar, but doesn't seem to notice or care. Akil watches as it makes a sad little flop onto it's glazed side before settling, then looks back at Ace, who still has yet to move. Akil waits a few more seconds, then begins to worry that Ace went into shock again, so he waves a hand in front of his face, and to his relief, Ace jumps back, clearly still alive and kicking.

Before he has to stand through another round of awkward silence, again, Akil clears his throat once more before moving past Ace the the refrigerator and saying crisply

"Couldn't sleep?"

For a second, Ace doesn't respond, and Akil feels a spike of irritation shoot through his spine, but then Ace mumbles out

"Ya, nightmares...sometimes."

Akil pauses his scavenge for water and sliced turkey in favour to turn around and frown at Ace, noticing that his voice is hoarse and scratched from what he assumes is nightmares, like Ace said.

"Was it about toda-"

Ace hold up his hand to silence him, just like he did that very morning

"I-" His voice cracks, and he tries again

"I don't want to talk about it. Not now. Not yet."

Akil nods slowly, putting his water on the counter while maintaining eye contact.

"Can I...stay in your room?" Akil asks tentatively, gaze never wavering

Ace looks taken aback at the request, but after a few moments, he nods, leans down and picks up the crushed donut bar, then slowly reaches behind Akil. For a moment, Akil panics and the instinct the grab the arm and throw Ace over his shoulder is completely overwhelming, but Ace's voice cuts through it instantly.

"Shh, it's alright, I'm just throwing away the donut, see?" He leans back, putting his hands up to show they're both empty

Akil releases a sigh before he can stop it, and Ace gives him a small smile. Akil scowls and turns back to the fridge to grab a bit of turkey, and when he turns back around, he's pleasantly surprised to see Ace leaning against the kitchen island, waiting for him. Akil quickly grabs the water bottle and they both creep upstairs and slip into Ace's room. Ace walks over to his bed while Akil silently closes the door, making sure not to wake anyone else up, then stands for a moment, allowing his eyes to adjust to the dark room.

Ace sits on the edge of the bed, looking at Akil, and when he starts to make his way over, he slides under the covers and turns so he's facing the younger boy.

Akil silently slides down to lean against the side to the bed, and Ace smirks

"You know, it would be a lot more comfortable in the bed." he whispers

Akil shakes his head and whispers back

"After today, I don't think you'd want to have me in a bed, it would be odd and slightly alarming, especially if someone came in tomorrow and got the wrong idea"

Ace shrugs

"Good point"

They both lapse into a comfortable silence before Ace whispers again

"Can I pet your hair?"

Akil jolts slightly at this, but regains his composure and allows himself a moment to relax and prepare for the sensation of someone touching him without the intent to kill or hurt him, then nods while mentally bracing himself for the touch. A moment later, he feels a feather-touch in his hair, the the sensation slowly becomes more prominent, until Ace is running his fingers through his dark locks slow and evenly. After a few minutes, Akil relaxes, and sighs in content, and he hears Ace hum as he continues to run his hand through his hair.

 

Ace wakes up the next morning to sunlight and hushed giggling, and he manages to pry one of his eyes open long enough to see Amelia and Alec giggling while looking down at a phone

The first thought that comes to Ace's mind, is that Akil is going to murder both of them when he wakes up, but right now he's too tired to care, and he feels a small body nuzzle closer to him and he wraps his arm around it, and rest his hand in the smooth, dark curls and drifts back to sleep, ignoring the fading giggling at the end of his bed.


	3. Akil Leaves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ace tries to take Tyler away because he's in a bad place, but then Akil runs away. Drama ensues.

"Ace, you can't leave with Tyler."

"Why not old man" he sneers, tightening his grip on Tyler's hand

Cody shifts, looking uncomfortable for once in his life

"Why. Not." Ace grinds out through his teeth impatiently

"Because...."

"Tell me!" Ace shouts, patience snapping

Wordlessly, Cody pulls a paper out of his front pocket and holds it out to Ace, and the younger boy snatches it and begins to skim it, anger turning into bitter humor.

He barks out a harsh laugh, throwing his head back, and when he looks at Cody, his smile doesn't quite reach his eyes

"That's rich, when did this happen huh? Did you even ask Tyler if he wanted this?"

Cody throws a guilty glance at Tyler before flicking his eyes back to Ace

"What is it?" Tyler asks, voice small, and Ace shoves the paper toward him

After reading it, his eyes widen and he looks at Cody, but Cody's busy looking down at the floor, so Tyler looks to Ace, confused and happy and hurt all at once. The adoption papers are slowly crumpling in Ty's fist, but Cody knows he isn't really noticing right now.

Ace just turns and starts marching towards the front door, dragging Tyler with him

"Ace!" a voice shouts behind Cody

Ace pauses and turns, looking at Akil standing at the bottom of the stairs, fuming, and sighs in annoyance

"What do you want kid." is all he says, already done with this conversation.

Everyone else stands around in the living room, Dante looking like he'll vault over the couch if things get too violent. Alec is looking at him, wide-eyed. Chris is angled behind Dante, looking almost frightened. Jack is standing, tensed, as if preparing for everyone to turn on him and start fighting. Lucas looks hurt and lost, and Amelia has his arm in a death grip, whether to keep him from fighting or to keep herself grounded, Ace has no idea, but Akil pulls his attention away before he can decide. 

"You can't leave." Akil says forcefully, as if he's trying to convince Ace as much as himself

"I can do whatever I want, buddy." Ace spits back, ignoring the stab of guilt that runs through him as soon as the words leave his mouth

Akil looks taken aback at the harsh tone, but recovers and balls his hands into fists and says through a clenched jaw

"You. Can't. Leave."

"Sorry to break it to you kid, but I'm an adult! I can do whatever I want!" Ace throws up his hands, ready to march out the door and never look back again if he's kept here any longer

"And Tyler is a minor. And my ward. So if you take him, I'm going to consider it kidnapping and call the police." Cody butts in, and Ace throws him a glare, but otherwise ignores him and looks back at the pissed-off-child in front of him

"Your not suppose to leave!" Akil's voice is borderline hysterical now, and Ace notices that for once, he actually looks his age, like a scared kid, instead of the dangerous, unfeeling assassin that he was raised to be

"Sorry, kiddo. The bird's gotta leave the nest sometime." Ace replies bitterly, looking at the door

"THE PARENT IS NOT SUPPOSE TO LEAVE!" Akil screams, face cracking into that of despair, before he freezes

A horrified look flicks across his face, and it contorts into something Ace can't pin, but then Akil is spinning on his heel and marching away, stiff as a board, and Ace is left standing there, eyes wide, holding Tyler's hand as everyone stares after the boy, shocked into silence

After an eternity of silence, Ace manages to turn to Tyler and stutter out

"I-I, I think I need to take this one. I'll be back." before bolting after the boy, tracking him by the slamming of doors and muttered cussing

Ace finds Akil in the secret weapons closet, stuffing clothes and several dangerous-looking blades into a duffel bag

Ace can't seem to find anything to say, so he stands there, mouth closing and opening like a fish out of water. Without stopping his hurried packing, Akil says in a determined voice

"You can't stop me. I'm leaving. I can't stay here, and neither can you, so go run away with your boyfriend and leave me here, please."

He doesn't sound bitter or angry about it, and his voice is chillingly blank, but the kid is great at hiding his emotions when he doesn't want anyone else to know about them, so Ace can only guess what's going through his head right now.

Akil finishes stuffing everything within arms' reach into the bag, so his stands and turns, avoiding Ace's eyes as he breezes past and makes his way to the front door, still avoiding eye contact with anyone.

Akil reaches the front door and closes his hand around the doorknob, but Cody interrupts him

"Akil? What are you doing?" Cody asks, sounding dazed while trying to recover from the last five minutes of his tornado of a family drama

Akil spins around and focuses on a point just above Cody's head and drills out, as if he's on auto-pilot 

"This house can no longer provide for my needs. I will be leaving you and the rest to fend for yourselves, have a lovely day, goodbye."

With that, he turns and marches out the door, looking like he owns the world and knows it, but the only thing giving away the false confidence is a stiffness in his movements. As soon as he turns onto the main road, he adjusts his bag and starts a mad sprint to get as far away from that house full of people as possible. Once he makes it to the center of town, he turns sharply to the left into an alley and slides down next to a dumpster, effectively hiding him from unwanted curious eyes.

He takes a moment to calm his frantic heartbeat and pulls out a hand-drawn map of the town's layout, looking for any tall buildings. Luckily for him, California seems to have a surplus of skyscrapers, and Akil maps the way to the nearest one before shoving the map back into the bag.

Taking a deep breath, Akil hauls himself upright and calmly walks further into the alley, since the main streets have road cameras that Cody can use to track him, so he decides to stick to alleyways.

The total journey takes a few hours, but Akil's had longer hikes without stopping, so he keeps going until he reaches his destination.

Once he's there, he digs through the backpack he brought with him and takes out rope, a pulley, and other necessities, before gearing up. He once again maps out the distance, time required to climb the building, get to the top, press the button and let go. 

He does a few warm-up stretches in an alley closest to the skyscraper before he sprints to it, knowing that if he got a cramp while climbing it would hinder his progress and he would get caught.

Taking a deep breath and shaking out his limbs, he turns towards the closest side of the structure.

And then he sprints.

He runs up the the glass walls and quickly finds handholds that a normal person would have never seen, and, taking a second to make sure he's secure, starts to climb.

The building is one of the older-model skyscrapers, so it's not as tall as the ones in Dubai, but it's big enough to guarantee death if he messes this up.  
Akil continues to climb, keeping his breathing even and ignoring the startled faces of people as he passes another window.  
Once he's about ten feet from the top, he hears the faint cry of police sirens off in the distance and he snarls, irritated at the interference.

Once he's at the top, he squats down and digs a button out of his front pocket  
He presses it and it starts beeping before a map is pulled up with his location and 5:07 in the corner.

The nearest retrieval team is five minutes and seven seconds away.

He can live with that.

Akil puts the tracker down on the roof and adjusts himself so he's sitting down, legs dangling off the edge.

At home, whenever a 'soldier' was down, they pulled a tracker out of their suit, then pushed the button, alerting the 'retrieval teams' to come and stick the antidote in them -the antidote being a formula that can revive the dead- but it only works if it's administered before two hours pass, if more than that time passes, there's no saving them.

Akil looks down at the map

Twenty seconds.

Akil peers over the edge, and sure enough, a sleek black car is zooming around traffic, heading for the tower

Akil sighs and stands, slinging the duffel bag onto his back more securely before peering down the tower again

He takes a deep breath and holds it for five seconds.

Then jumps.

He can feel the wind whipping his face and stinging his eyes, and he sees the ground getting closer and closer. The sirens are still a bit far off. The team will get there first.

They always do.

He doesn't even register the impact, just one second, he's falling, and the next, blackness.

He doesn't feel the needle prick his arm, but after a moment, he gasps and flings himself upright, the man kneeling in front of him narrowly missing a broken nose as he smiles down at him. It's late afternoon, and when Akil looks down at his watch, it reads 4:26. The man sitting across from his clears his throat to get his attention.

"Good afternoon Agent 466. How was the, ah, flight?"

The eastern accent is thick, almost to the point that Akil can barely distinguish the words from gibberish.

The boy answers back in his native tongue, and sees a flash of relief cross the mans' face as Akil flops back into the leather seat in the large car

"Haha. Was there blood?"

The man answers back in earnest, eager to stop talking in the foreign language

"Yes, but they took care of it, and are dealing with the American police right now."

Akil nods, and then looks down at his arm, and sees that it's twisted at the wrong angle, the bone poking out in a way that should be concerning, but the skin is still intact, so Akil doesn't panic

"Agent 12. Is my arm broken?" Akil asks slowly, trying to asses the damage, but unable to because there's no feeling in his arm

"Yes, it broke during the fall. You have no head injury, only a few scrapes, and a sprained ankle, but the numbness in your arm will wear away in a few minutes."

Akil nods again, right as a sharp stab of pain shoots up his arm and he closes his eyes against the pain. He can hear the smile in the man's voice when he speaks again

"Would you like some medicine for it?"

Akil glares at him and the man holds his hands up in a peaceful gesture

"Hey, it's been a while, you may not be use to the pain since it's been such a long time living without it."

Akil continues to glare as he replies, another bolt of pain causing his voice to fluctuate for a milisecond  
"No. We need to reset it before the numbness wears off. Help me would you."

The man grins and Akil holds out his arm, his whole body tensing when white-hot pain flashes up his arm.  
After a few minutes of biting his tongue and squeezing his eyes shut against the pain, the man withdraws his hands and Akil pulls his arm to his chest to avoid aggravating it further.

"So, the Leader will expect a report on why you have chosen to return to us. You'll probably have to grovel." The man sends Akil a smirk, and Akil growls, causing the man to raise his hands in that same peaceful gesture as earlier, and he turns to the window, ending the conversation.  
The rest of the car ride is silent, and when they get to the airport, Akil follows the man and they are ushered into a private jet, and then they take off, the plane ride just as silent as the car.

Akil settles into the plush leather seat, arm in a cast, ankle in a splint, and a bottle of pain medication untouched next to an empty bottle of water.

He watches with a dull ache in his chest as California slowly fades from his view, effectively leaving the house full of people behind, as he heads back to the place of pain and training and following orders and death that he's always thought of as a home. He's going back to a home.

Just not his home.


	4. Brother's Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 6 months after Akil runs away, he invites the family to dinner, and Ace may or may not murder a few people afterwords  
> *PART 2 OF AKIL LEAVES*

"Cody, I though we agreed that you'd leave us alone." Ace crosses his arms and resists the urge to step between him and the two boys next to him.  
Lucas and Tyler keep quiet and wait for an explanation. Cody sighs and smooths out his shirt in a nervous habit he's always seemed to have.

"I know, I know, but your brother...has invited all of us to dinner."

Ace raises his eyebrows, and Tyler makes a sound of surprise, looking at Lucas then at Ace.

Ace tilts his head to the side, eyes narrowed in suspicion

"Why? Ever since he ran away back then, he hasn't tried to contact us since. Why now?"

Cody notices the hurt in his voice but chooses to not comment on it, and shifts his weight, trying to ease to tension from the situation

"I don't know. A few days after he left, I visited him in Dubai, but he sent me away, said he never wanted to see me again. I know about as much as you do right now."

Ace calls him out on the lie immediately, and subtly shifts so he's partly in front of Tyler

"Bullshit. I think you know a lot more than we do, old man." Ace spits, glaring at him as menacingly as possible

Cody groans and rubs his hands down his face, exhausted from worrying and dealing with Ace's anger

"Alright, all I know is Akil hasn't had contact with any mafia personnel in the last few months, and he's been hell-bent on avoiding me." He looks up at the boys and a wave of nostalgia washes over him when he sees them standing together, but he pushes it aside

"So what, he feels sorry, so now he's inviting all of us into his lair to murder us?" Lucas pipes up, looking slightly pissed at the idea of seeing the brat again

"No. He just wants to have diner." is all Cody says, resting his head on his palm, feeling a headache coming on.

God, it hasn't even been an hour.

"Fine Cody, you got me interested. When do we leave?" Ace uncrosses his arms and slings them around the two beside him

"Today, if possible, Amelia's meeting us there with everyone else, so if you want to pack anything, go ahead."

Lucas grumbles silently, but Ace just squeezes his shoulder and turns back to Cody

"Trust me, we' got everything we need."

Cody nods, then disappears upstairs, returning a few minutes later, pulling a grey suitcase behind him. Ace sidesteps, holding an arm in front of Tyler as Cody walks past, as if Cody'll try to snatch him away. Lucas scoffs and crosses his arms, looking away, and Tyler rolls his eyes and pushes Ace forward, prompting him to follow Cody out to the car. Once they're all settled in, Cody starts the drive to the nearest airport, silence swallowing the car like a black hole.

They arrive at the airport, and Ace jumps out of the car and starts to walk towards the long lines, but Cody taps his arm and nudges him to a different section of the airport. Ace raises his eyebrow at him, but wordlessly follows, Lucas and Tyler trailing behind, whispering quietly

They're led to a sleek black plane, and Cody shrugs when Ace shoots him a questioning glance

"It's faster." is all he says, shrugging

After an hour, Tyler is leaning on Lucas, both sound asleep, and Ace smiles at them fondly.

Another hour passes, and they're landing, and Ace shakes the boys awake, both of them mumbling and yawning, and Ace find himself smiling again.  
They get off the plane, and Ace has to stop to admire the view, eyes wide at the bustling city and the skyscrapers in the distance

"Tourist land. It'll be crowded, but I think we can manage" Cody says over the noises in the airport  
Ace just nods wordlessly and follows Cody like a lost duckling, clutching onto Lucas and Tyler's hands as they make they're way to the exists where Amelia and everyone else waits for them, luggage at their feet

After calling a cab and what seems like centuries of awkward silence, they all get into the taxi, Cody giving the driver directions. An hour later, the taxi stops, and they all get out, unload their luggage, and are left standing in front of a sleek black building.

Cody makes his way to the front door and presses the button, and Ace starts to feel nervous jitters crawling through his skin, so he grabs onto Tyler and Lucas, both of them shooting him concerned glances, but Ace straightens his spine and faces forward as the door opens and a man in a fancy suit ushers them all inside.

They all stand at the entrance, nervous and waiting, until a different man strides in and waves the other away. This one is wearing an expensive suit that's looks far more expensive than the first guy's suit.

Ace does a double take, recognizing the confident aura and piercing green eyes. He's startled that he didn't recognize him faster, since it's only been six months since they last saw each other.

Akil's grown taller, loosing some of the childish baby fat from his face, while looking like he's put on a few pounds of muscle. His back is ramrod-straight, hands behind his back in what's probably meant to be a fancy pose.

Akil looks at Amelia, then Chris, then Dante, lingering on Cody, before moving to Lucas, pausing on Tyler, before settling on Ace longer than the others. Something Ace can't name flits across Akil's face before smoothing back into an unsettling calm. His gaze brushes over everyone else, as if they aren't worth his time, and Akil turns so he's facing Cody.

As Akil greets Cody, Ace notices the dark circles under his little brother's eyes, and they way he seems tense, like he's preparing for one of them to rush at him with a knife, and concern shoots through him, making him tighten his hold on Lucas and Tyler.

Akil plasters on a smile that everyone sees through instantly, and extends his hand to Cody

"Mr. Long, how lovely of you to come. I'm glad everyone could join tonight, it's been quite some time."

Cody frowns at the last name title, and Ace's brain seems to crash at how he's talking, but before he can think anymore on it, Cody shakes the offered hand, and Akil retracts it as soon as it's done, like he has a virus that he doesn't want to catch. Then Akil spins on his heel, walking stiffly to the dining room and everyone exchanges glances before following. The man that greeted them at the doorway takes their coats and luggage before they all sit at the large table, waiting for someone to say something as silence falls on them like an avalanche.

Akil takes the head of the table, Cody on his right and Amelia on his left, and everyone filing after them. Before the awkward silence can keep going, Akil turns to Cody, fake smile plastered on his face again

"So tell me, Mr. Long, how have you been?"

Cody smiles politely and Ace notices the expression seems strained, and equally as fake as the one slapped onto Akil's face

"Call me Cody, please. And I'm doing fine, how about you?"

"I'm doing well. I'm happy that you could join me for dinner tonight, it's always nice to have company."

Before anyone can ask what that means, a man walks in, looking ruffled and wearing a fluffy grey bathrobe. He yawns and making his way over to lean against the back of Akil's chair and wraps his arms around his chest, the very picture of domesticity.

"What time is it?" The man asks, and then after noticing the wide-eyed staring, he stands stiffly and shoots a sheepish smile down at Akil before once again addressing the angry and startled faces

"Oh! I forgot you were having company today, please forgive my rudeness" he bows his head slightly in a greeting

Akil's stopped the forced awkward smiling from his face, and once again looks as composed as ever, as if that thing the man-with his hands all over him-did didn't just happen

"Ah, yes, I forgot to introduce you." Akil interrupts smoothly  
"Everyone, this is Jake. Jake, meet Dante, Lucas, Amelia, Chris, Cody, Alec, Ace, Tyler, Luke, and Jack." Akil gestures to each of them when introducing, face unreadable

The man smiles and bows his head again

"Lovely to meet you all, I'm glad you could join us for dinner."

"Us? Are you two-" Tyler blurts out, then snaps his mouth closed, his face turning the shade of Lucas's hair as everyone turns to look at him

The man blinks, looks at Akil, then back to Tyler. Akil looks between them, then suddenly barks out a laugh, realizing what the red-head thought they were.

"Oh no! goodness no!" He looks back and forth, laughing as Jake, eyes wide and confused, looks at him before he catches on to what Akil is thinking, and jumps to fix his error

"Oh no! We're not-we're not-"

Akil cuts in, wiping his eyes, laughter slowly subsiding

"We're not together, Jake is" Akil giggles for a moment before continuing  
"He's my bodyguard. When I came back to Dubai, they wanted him killed for allowing me to come back, but I saved him, since he did nothing wrong, so he's staying with me until further notice."

Tyler seems to sag in the relief that his little brother wasn't hooking up with adult men, and Cody released a breath through his nose, and just like that, the tension is dissolved, and Akil continues conversing with Cody, occasionally asking Amelia or Dante questions.  
When dinner was finally served, Akil turned his gaze to Tyler

"So, if I may inquire, what have you three done in these last two years?" Akil gestures to Lucas, Ace and Tyler

Lucas pauses, and Tyler looks sharply to Ace, pleading silently for him to answer so he doesn't have to

Ace clears his throat, and Akil's head snaps to him, as if he forgot he was there

Or as if he was ignoring him.

"We've been traveling around the U.S. exploring and all that" Ace waves his hand vaguely, as if it would help explain that all three are now dating and avoiding Cody and the house as much as humanly possible. 

Akil nods, but doesn't seem convinced as he turns back to Cody, and Ace feels a jolt of anger and hurt at being dismissed like that, as if they didn't matter, and before Lucas can squeeze his hand under the table in reassurance, Ace clears his throat again and says, voice dripping with fake sweetness

"So Akil, what were you doing after running out of the house and jumping off a building? I haven't heard from you in a while."

Cody shoots him a dangerous glare, and Akil pauses, looking slightly taken aback, before slapping on that god damned see-through smile, but this time, there's a glint in his eye that spells danger, and Ace feels his hair raise, a spark of excitement shooting through him as he waits for the answer

"Habibi, not here." Jake whispers lowly near Akil's ear and squeezes Akil's upper arm, but Akil shakes him off, staring intently at Ace as if trying to burn a hole through his head

Cody's eyes narrow when the pet name passes Jake's lips, and he tightens his grip on his fork, willing himself not to lunge across the table and stick the pointy tool into the man's neck for calling his son something so intimate.

"No no, the man asked a question, and I will give him an answer." Akil says, not bothering to hide the rumble in the words, the vibration in his voice that promises painful bruises later

"You may all continue to dine without me." Akil throws his napkin over his food and pushes up from the table  
"Mr. Ryans, would you like to join me downstairs in the training room for a sparring match?"

Ace feels the spike of thrill shoot through him again, and pauses to look at Lucas and Tyler, sending them both reassuring smiles, and when he looks back at Akil, the boy looks disgusted at the display, and Ace smiles sweetly, pushing away from the table as well.

"Sure, I'd love to join you. Should we go now or?..." he trails off, looking expectantly at the burning emeralds and ticking jaw of the boy before him

"I think we can go now, then wait for everyone to finish." With that, Akil turns around and stalks out of the room, Jake close on his heel whispering rapidly in a foreign language, Akil not replying

Ace follows, ignoring the wide eyes, and angry glare from Cody so he can follow Akil and his lapdog down a long hallway and to a basement, stocked full with a boxing ring, weights on the side, a punching bag shoved in the corner, and exercise equipment lining the rest of the room.

Ace whistles slowly, doing a 360 to take it all in, impressed at the fancy equipment

"This' all yours babybird?" Ace asks casually, glancing at Akil out of the corner of his eye

Akil's shoulders tense and he turns slowly, holding a pare of black boxing gloves tightly in his hands

"Don't call me that" he sneers, handing the gloves to Jake, who puts them down and starts wrapping his hands in cloth. Akil continues as he watches the cloth enclose his hands

"And yes, this house, and everything in it for that matter, was a gift from my boss before I left."

"Wait, you left the job?" Cody asks, walking in and leaning against the wall by the door as everyone else files in and stands there, looking out of place and slightly jumpy

"Yes, I thought you would know that from all your stalking." Akil says bitterly, glaring at Cody

Cody just shrugs.

Once Jake finishes wrapping Akil's hands and putting the gloves on, he goes to a far shelf and grabs another pair, and turns to Ace, waiting for permission to get him ready

Lucas sighs and shoves through the small crowd and grabs the items, glaring at Jake

"I can do it, if you don't mind." Ace smirks at the protective way Lucas moves over to him and grabs his hands to start getting them ready

Once everything's in place, Akil climbs into the ring, Ace following behind.

They get into their separate corners, and Ace glances at everyone, Lucas crosses his arms and glares at Akil, but Akil remains nonchalant, and his gaze slides over everyone, then stops on his bodyguard, then glances to Cody, a smirk that has 'prank' written all over it overtaking the young boys' face. Then Akil is leaning over the ropes and pulling Jake up so they're face to face, and then, he's leaning down, pressing their lips together for a brief moment before pulling back and looking at Jake's wide eyes, the man's breath seemingly being stuck in his throat. Akil is still smirking when he says, with all the confidence of a god going to battle,

"I'm wining, habibi. Guaranteed."

Then he lets go of Jake and turns, facing Ace with a giant smirk, but Ace's face is slack in shock, and after a moment, the older boy whirls around to Cody, and sees the man's eyes blazing promises of murder, and then his eyes snap back at Akil.  
Akil leans against the ropes, head tilted to the side as he looks at everyone's shocked expressions in a taunting, confidant way that seems to come naturally for him.

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Ace makes a noise in the back of his throat, trying to form words, but his body not listening to him. After another failed attempt at telling Akil how gross that was, Ace gives up and raises his arms into a defensive position.

Akil smirks before mirroring him, and they begin.

After a few playful swipes, Ace's eyes widen as Akil swings hard, nicking his arm.

And then Ace is forced to defend, surprised at the ferocity Akil is putting into his punches. They're not playing anymore. Akil is here to win.

In the bright underground lighting, Ace can see the dark circles under Akil's eyes even more so than earlier, and when Ace sees Jake out of the corner of his eye, he almost freezes mid-block.

Jake is frowning, leaning forward to look closer at Akil, looking completely worried and not at all like Akil is punching the crap out of Ace.

Akil manages to graze his stomach, and Ace forces his attention back to the fists flying at him. The continue for a few more seconds, and then Jake stops the first round, ending in a tie.

When Ace jumps down off the platform and walks over to Cody, he's frowning, and Ace waves his hand in front of his face

"Hey, what're you frowning about?"

Cody shakes his head and looks over at Akil, not answering

"Something's not right. He's being reckless, and he looks exhausted. Plus, he's wearing a shirt."

Ace raises an eyebrow, not following, and Cody sighs, rubbing his face tiredly.

"Normally in boxing, you take your shirt off. I wonder why he has it on?"

Ace looks back over at Akil, frowning, then he walks over, calling out as he gets closer

"Hey babybird, why are you wearing a shirt? Is this practice or something?"

Akil turns, sneer on his face, but all Ace can see are the bags under his little brother's eyes

"What, am I not allowed to wear a shirt in my own house?"

Ace shrugs

"I'm not saying that, I'm just sayin' that it feels like you aren't taking this seriously."

Akil growls at him before grabbing his collar and yanking it over his head. Ace would keep taunting the younger boy, like falling into an old pattern, but his voice catches in his throat when he sees Akil's torso. He does manage to make an impressive choking noise though.

Akil's stomach is wrapped in bandages.

After a beat, Ace manages to push through the dread settling in his gut like wet cement and get his voice to make proper noises.

"Ya know kid, it's not Halloween." Akil raises an eyebrow at the choking hitch at the beginning of the sentence

The boy sneers at the insult, but doesn't otherwise move. Ace reaches out and unclasps the hooks, ignoring the way Akil tenses under his hand, and when the bandages fall away, Ace takes an involuntary step back, eyes widening and dinner churning in his stomach unpleasantly.

Amelia gasps from wherever she is near the door, but the blood roaring in Ace's ears drowns it out as he stands there, looking at Akil's body.

It's...it's a car wreck.

That's the only was Ace can describe it.

Akil's chest, ribs, everything is bruised, and some old scabs have started sluggishly bleed from the exertion while boxing.

Ace suddenly remembers Tyler, crouched in the kitchen, his entire back and stomach looking like a bloody, war-torn battlefield, and he has to swallow to keep his dinner down.  
From next to the ring, Lucas grabs onto Tyler's arm, mind flashing the day when he came home from school, and Tyler was laying on the kitchen floor, body beaten black and blue as Ace tried to help and Cody ran to get the med kit.

Cody takes a step forward, but then Jake is there, kneeling in front of Akil, cussing in a foreign language and waving his hands around, but not touching him.

Akil glares at him and leans over to grab the bandages, and Ace watches, shocked, as he hands them to Jake and the man begins to re-wraps his stomach, the bodyguard talking, trying to convince Akil to lay down, but Akil is stubborn, and he finishes, looking up at the shocked faces and he shrugs

"It looks worse than it is. Trust me, I can't even feel it."

Cody walks forward, eyes still wide as he whispers, trying to keep from punching the life out of whoever did this. Whoever did this to his son.

"You can't feel it because you're body's probably gone numb. You need medical attention. Please, let up help." Cody pleads, making it to the edge of the ring and he holds the edge in a death-grip

Akil frowns and turns back to Ace, pushing Jake aside, he steps forward and puts up his firsts

"Let's finish this shall we?"

Ace's mouth drops open, and he immediately shakes his head and backs up, trying to rip the gloves off without breaking eye contact.

"No. No. I'm not hitting you." Ace says, desperation rising when he can get the god fucking damn gloves off. 

Akil looks shocked, then rage makes him snarl as he storms forward

"Come on! I can still fight! Do you think I'm weak? Is that what this is? Is that why you won't hit me?!"

Ace keeps shaking his head, and he feels waves of several, very intense emotions hit him like a tsunami, making his eyesight blur at the edges. He still can't get his gloves off.

"No. I can't fight you. Please Akil, I can't. I can't fight my brother." Ace's voice cracks just a bit

Akil snarls again and leaps up, grabbing Ace's neck with his legs as he twists him and slams him onto the ground. Akil holds his fist close to Ace's face, and they're both breathing hard, and Ace keeps shaking his head, tears springing up as the image of his little brother's broken body laying on the ground flashes through his mind.

"Akil." he whispers, a tear slides down his cheek, and Akil blinks, surprised

He tries again, a tad more desperate to get his point across

"Buddy. I'm not going to hit you, I can't. Didn't you notice? I didn't hit you. I can't. I can't hit my brother. I'm not hitting family." Ace's voice wobbles as more tears fall down

Akil stares at him, mouth slightly open in a retort, but no noise coming forth

"Your injured. Why didn't you tell me? Why?"

Akil tries desperately to ignore the hurt in Ace's voice, and to push down the instinct to let his walls down and find comfort in his older brother.  
So instead, he stands on unsteady feet with emotions clogged in his throat.  
Jake grabs his arm to steady him, and Cody climbs up the side of the ring to help Ace to his feet. Akil leans into the touch before moving out of Jake's grasp, and climbs off the platform to get his shirt. Once he pulls it back on, he turns to the group, all of them still standing there, waiting for him to faint or something.

 

"You'll be shown to your rooms, I hope you enjoyed your stay, but I must retire for the night. It was..." Akil stops, then drops the polite act, too tired to maintain it for so long

"It was nice seeing you guys again. Goodnight, I'll be down tomorrow to see you off." and with that, Akil turns and walks upstairs, ignoring the twinges of pain shooting through his stomach, his bodyguard close by.

After everyone finally manages to snap out of it, a butler escorts them to the guest rooms.

No one sleeps that night.

The next morning, they're all rounded up and taken to the dining room for breakfast, Akil and Jake already seated and waiting patiently for them. Once breakfast begins, the room falls into silence, everyone looking down or exchanging worried glances with each other.  
After two minutes of this, Akil clears his throat and all heads snap to attention.  
Ace stares Akil, guilt washing over him, but then he narrows his eyes.

Akil's wearing a turtleneck, sleeves shoved all the way down.

Ace continues to look at Akil's neck, and when the boys shifts, the collar of the shirt moves, ever so slightly, and Ace thinks he sees a bruise, but it's gone, and Akil's adjusting the fabric before he can be certain.  
Ace's eyes flick up to Akil's, eyes meeting before they both glance away.

When breakfast finishes without much-any talking, everyone disperses to pack their luggage, and before Ace can blink, they're all standing at the front door, Akil off to the side observing them.

As casually as possible, Ace walks over and stands in front of the young boy, not speaking. Akil opens his mouth, then seems to decide better and closes it. Ace takes this as his chance, and, locking eyes with him, reaches out and hooks his finger onto Akil's shirt collar and pulls it down, revealing exactly what Ace hoped wasn't there.  
Bruises.  
Ace stands there, jaw clenched, and once he swallows down the lump in his throat, leans down and whispers

"Who did this?"

Akil's eye twitches and he looks over Ace's shoulder and meets Cody's burning gaze. Akil looks back to Ace and swallows thickly

"You wouldn't know them." his voice is scratchy from something, and he knows that Ace notices

'Someone strangled my brother. I'm going to-'  
Ace stops the though before it can escalate, and instead leans down

"I think I want to...meet them." Ace whispers, dangerously close to Akil's ear, sending a shiver down his spine

"I think you don't." Akil whispers back, lips ghosting over his ear and now it's Ace's turn to shutter at the feeling

"Ace. Time to go" Cody calls out, interrupting the game of intimidation two are playing.

Ace straightens and lets go of Akil's sweater, sending him one last warning glance before turning and sauntering back to the group. Akil straightens the collar before anyone else can catch a glimpse of the bruised skin as he follows Ace, slapping a smile on and stopping before the group.

"Well, it was lovely seeing you all, and I wish you safe travels back to the states." Akil extends his hand and Cody takes it, smiling just as falsely.

"Of course, please do call if you want to have us over again"

At that, the two parties separate, heading out the door with Akil turning and walking back into the house, ignoring the concerned glance Amelia shoots him before the doors close.

They all stand in front of the door for a few seconds before Alec blurts out

"Well that was awkward."

Cody sighs and shakes his head before striding ahead, calling over his shoulder

"Not here Alec. We'll talk on the way back."

They all pile into a taxi and Cody asks something in Arabic, the driver nodding and starting the car. They make a sharp turn onto the street, and Amelia frowns

"Hey Cody? the airport is that way" She points behind her, but Cody doesn't turn around, just hums

"Uh, then where are we going?" Alec asks, confused

"A hotel." Cody shrugs, raising his eyebrows in an innocent gesture

"Uh, cool. Want to expand on that or no?" Ace's irritation spikes as he crosses his arms, frustrated and tired

"So what did you and Akil talk about that seemed so pressing?" Cody changes the topic so fast, he nearly gives Ace whiplash

'Nice try old man. We're talking about this one way or another'

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours. It was nothing too important, just asking about who gave the little birdie the bruises on his neck." He says sarcastically

Amelia's jaw falls open and she whirls in her seat to look at Ace.

"There were-on his NECK! HOW?!" Jack shushes her, and Amelia shoots him a glare

Ace shrugs, and Dante winces at the level of her voice, but Amelia isn't paying attention.

"His voice sounded, I don't know, weird. During dinner. I just assumed it was puberty, but before we left, I pulled his collar down and there were marks, like he'd been strangled. I don't know anything, but he probably bit off more than he could chew and got beaten up."

Amelia's mouth snaps shut, and she turns her shock onto Cody

"We can't just leave! We need to go back and interrogate him! He's a kid! Hell, he shouldn't be living alone in the first place!"

"He has that bodyguard dude!" Lucas pipes up unhelpfully, and Amelia ignores him

"I know. We'll talk more when we're at the hotel. Until then, this conversation is over." Cody says in a voice that leaves no room for argument

Amelia can't say anything back, not when Cody puts his foot down like this, so the car falls into silence, everyone avoiding each other's gazes as the taxi speeds along, the world ignorant to the hell that's about to be unleashed from the very concerned, and very pissed, family.


	5. Eyes Are The Windows To The Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Group gets lost while taking a road trip. They find a little building in the middle of the woods, and since they've got nothing else to do, they go inside. When they enter, an old lady claims that she can read their souls through their eyes. Curious, the group accepts.
> 
> "After all, it's not everyday such an interesting group of people are this far out in the woods."

Dante goes first.

"Hmm. There's a dull brightness. A sadness, a deep pain, but it's fading. The light in your eyes will get brighter if you stay around your loved ones. But the road will not be easy. You must ride out the storm in order to emerge again."

Lucas is next.

"Huh. Odd. I can't read your eyes very well. There's almost no light in them. It's dull, angry. Like a rainy day at sea. Let me come back to you later my boy."

The woman moves on to Amelia.

"Your eyes are happy. With a hint of sadness, but you don't let it hold you back. You have great potential. You're a very bright young lady. I hope you find what you want in life."

Chris.

"Oh. Your eyes...they're...freezing. Your eyes are so clear and bright. It's chilling. Your intelligent. It feels as if jumping into ice water with no protection. It's sharp like a winter wind, it'll sting you if you mess with it. Your intelligence is sometimes faster than your mind, and you might hurt others with your sharp tongue. But it's truly beautiful."

Then she goes to Cody.

"There's sadness. An exhaustion, written clearly in your eyes. You've been through much. But being around these people seems to heal you, even if they exhaust you at times. You love them. Cherish all of them, and they, in turn, will cherish and protect you."

Alec. When she looks at his eyes, she tenses, wary.

"Your eyes. They seek violence. They're bright, intelligent. But you take pride, maybe even pleasure, in spilling blood. Your dangerous. You would kill for your family. You would take pleasure in harming those who you believe deserve it. Be careful on the thin line your walking, and keep your family close. When the danger passes, and if you choose to not go down a wrong path, your life will be long and fulfilling."

Ace.

"Your eyes have a clarity to them. Like the other two, but a knowing soul. You are well aware of your actions. You don't hesitate when it comes to your beliefs. But you're uncertain when it comes to where you stand in this group. You act indifferent, but it terrifies you that they might reject you when you make a mistake." The old woman stops, and looks at the group standing behind Ace, listening intently, before she turns back to him, a small smile on her old lips.  
"You have nothing to fear my boy. They love you beyond words. They will support you, no matter what, and your eyes say that you'd do the same in a heartbeat."

Tyler. She stops short when his eyes meet hers.

"Your eyes. They're dull. Not quite dead. Not bright. But dark. Your eyes seek violence like the other boys, but you don't take pleasure in it. Not in the way his does. You can harm people. Your eyes are dark things that whisper promises of hurt and blood. Be very wary of your actions boy. The path you walk is almost set, but not quite in stone yet. It will be difficult, but you can avoid a life of hurt and darkness, as long as you accept the hand that is reaching towards you. Accept it before you drown, boy."

The Group looks shocked, Tyler looks terrified, but the woman ignores it and instead turns to face Akil.

"Your eyes are so young. Yet they hold a decade of violent battles and death. So much death." The woman shakes her head and looks terribly sad, as if all her years are slowly crushing her.  
"You've seen much. More than anyone should. Most people would've crumbled by now, but you still go, because you've been taught to fight to the very end."  
She squints, and leans closer.  
"Ah. You poor soul. Even the very end has been taken from you. You've seen more than life. More than death. You've been death. You've been forced to grow beyond your age. Far, far beyond your age. Death has been taken from you, many times. So much so, that you cannot possibly sleep peacefully anymore. My poor child. My soul weeps for you."

Akil's eyes are wide, but his brain is screaming. Screaming to get the hell away from this creepy old woman. His chest is tight. He knows it's true. He's been killed, revived, used. So many times. When he sleeps, he's reminded of being dead. And then he has nightmares. Such vivid and horrifying nightmares that most nights, he wakes up, mute from screaming so much.  
Some nights, he wakes up, still screaming. The one time he's ever slept peacefully was when Ace slept next to him after Akil helped calm him down after a panic attack. But most mornings, Akil doesn't come down for breakfast until everyone else is gone, so he won't have to talk. Because if he tries to talk, then they'll hear his scratchy attempt at human communication. And then they'll know.  
They'll know how weak he is.  
That he's broken.

And he doesn't want them to pity him. So he avoids them as much as he can.

The woman gives him one last sorrowful glance before moving on to Luke.

"Your eyes are clouded." She says almost immediately  
"They're cloudy, but not entirely dark. There's light. In lots of places. Friends, family. You have people who care about you. You have family that will protect you. You are very loved. And you love in return. Despite what love has done to you. You will prevail, of that, I have no doubt."

Finally, she looks at Jack.

Then she recoils.  
Everyone blinks and raises their eyebrows or frowns in confusion.

But Jack doesn't react, he just continues to maintain steady eye contact.  
He's always been like that.  
Gaze never wavering for an instant.  
He stares.  
He can stare forever.  
He can stare a bully into runny away screaming.  
He can stare down the barrel of a gun without blinking.  
He can stare at the man behind it until the gun clatters to the floor and the man is covering, begging for his life. 

"You know." the woman whispers, eyes wide, hands shaking.

"You know beyond. Beyond this place. You've lived and seen countless things. Countless lifetimes. You've lived and died. Over and over. God has given you a gift."

Jack smiles bitterly and whispers, looking at the floor

"Or a curse."

The woman draws in a sharp breath.

"Of course." She says, looking at him in fascination, as if she's just seen a dog on Mars.

"Yes. It's a blessing. But it's also a curse. You can see Everything. You've been reincarnated for millennia. For eons, even. You've seen the birth, death, and resurrection of Him. Everything, through countless lifetimes. You must be so tired. 'Tired' can't even begin to comprehend it.  
Are you Atlas?"

Jack shakes his head with a exhale of breath that's almost like a laugh.

"No I'm not. I just know too many things is all."

The old lady seems to be shaken to her core as she turns away from him, eager to stop staring into the eyes that know Everything.

The group is silent, and Jack returns to their ranks, a few of them sending him odd glances, but he ignores them.

The woman drags Lucas forwards with a knobby, wrinkled hand.

"Sorry about that my boy." She glances nervously at Jack, and when he meets her eyes with an unwavering gaze, she snaps her attention back to the redhead.

"Anyway, lets get a closer look at you shall we?" She leans closer, inspecting the deep blue irises.

"This is strange. I can't see anything." She frowns, puzzled.

Jack steps next to them, and the woman nearly jumps out of her skin.

"Let me try" He whispers.

The old lady steps back without prompting, allowing Jack to take over.

Jack turns to Lucas, head tilted slightly. He squints, and suddenly, Lucas feels like there's a thousand ants crawling around him, making him itch and burn. Jack steps toward him, and Lucas's instinct roars in his ears to run, run far away from this- this thing. Coming towards him. Advancing on him. Closer, closerclosercloserhe'sgoingtokillmeohmygodI'mgoingtodiehe'sgoingtokillme

But he can't move. Jack's eyes have him pinned.

A light green, a dark green. Holding steady to wide, fearful blues.

And then Jack touches his arm, and every nerve in his body is burning like it's on fire. The ants crawling around on his skin in a frenzy.   
Then everything goes white, and there's a deafening, overwhelming noise.

It's a scream. It's a hum. It's a thunder clap. It's a slamming door. 

It's everything.

Every noise ever.

Then his vision goes black and the overwhelming noise stops.

Slowly, his vision comes back, and he blinks. Jack his holding both of his arms, keeping him from falling to the floor.

Everyone look startled, but it seems like they don't know what just happened.

His legs are shaking. Hell- his entire body is shaking. His ears are ringing, and he's pretty sure if Jack were to leg go of his arms, he'd topple to the floor. The old lady is staring at them, started but confused.

After a few deep breaths, and Jack lets Lucass' arms go, but his hands hover, waiting to catch him again if the need be.

The old lady moves back in front of Lucas and looks at his eyes for what feels like the millionth freaking time.

Surprise flits across her features, and Jack leans towards her and whispers, so softly that Lucas can barely catch it

"He had a barrier on him. A strong one. I had to take some...measures to get rid of it."

The woman nods, then focuses back on the task at hand.

"Ah, much better. Like that song about the rain clearing and all that. Anyhow." She waves her hand around, rambling slightly   
"You have sadness in your eyes. A great pain. Someone was taken from you. You loved them very much. Your eyes want vengeance, but the...haze clouding your eyes is gone. You'll be very happy with your family. If you choose to stay, then you'll get what you want, and receive what you didn't know you needed."

With that, she turns and walks back behind her counter to start organizing random things until the strangers leave.

After thanking her, everyone files out of the building.

Jack is the last one out, and when he finally exits the place, everyone is standing near the trailer, waiting.

"What took you so ling little dude?" Ace calls out as Jack walks towards the small crowd

"What?" Jack frowns, then taps his lips.

"Oh. I forgot, sorry bout' that dude." Ace remembers that Jack can read lips, but he needs to see them to do it.

"So, what took you so long?" Ace tries again.

Jack grins, then pulls a map from behind his back and waggles it teasingly.

"I was getting directions, you nimrod." he mocks, walking over to Cody where he unravels the map on the hood and begins talking about roads and 'dumbass grape-heads.'

"Hey I heard that, you twat." Ace hollers as he follows the Group into the camper.

Jack turns to him, smirk pulling his mouth up

'What?' He signs.

Ace flips him off.

 

Later that night, when Cody's pulled over on the side of the bumpy road in the woods because he can't stay awake anymore, Lucas and Jack silently sneak out of the trailer and climb onto the roof to talk.

For a while, they just sit there, looking at the bright constellations and thinking.

Lucas breaks the silence first.

"What did you do earlier."

Jack remains quiet, and Lucas waits for him to answer.

Finally, Jack answers in a whisper.

"You had a- lets just call it a blanket of magic around you, blocking that lady from reading your eyes."

Lucas opens his mouth to ask a question, but Jack hold up his hand.

"I removed it. I know it hurt, but it was making you, uh, hateful. Didn't you notice? After you woke up, when the woman talked about your sister, and you didn't want to immediately kill those men who hurt her? You were still angry, and I know you'll still get vengeance, but now, with the- the 'blanket' gone, it's less searing anger, and more like, kinda like, righteous rage?"

Lucas stops, thinks, then slowly nods.

"Can I ask my question now?"

Jack looks resigned, but nods.

"Why would you do that for me?" It's barely whispered, and Lucas's voice is damp with emotion, as well as his eyes.

Jack turns to him, eyes soft, unlike earlier when they seemed to set Lucas's blood on fire and sent his skin writhing.

"I wouldn't want you to go down the wrong path."

They lapse into silence once again, then Jack speaks, a thought hitting him.

"Why didn't you ask. About the things the woman said about me. How I got rid of the barrier. Why didn't you ask? Why aren't you asking? Aren't you curious?"

Lucas glances at him from the corner of his eye before looking back at the stars.

"Of course I'm curious how you did that. How you made me freak out. How you made me freeze. How I heard that- noise. Of course I'm wondering how. But-" He hold up his hand, stopping Jack from intterupting

"But, that's your business. Weather you've lived one lifetime or a thousand, it's your business. I don't know how that works, and frankly, I don't need to. When you want to talk to me, you can. Always. But I'm not going to pry. I don't care if you saw Jesus being murdered. What matters is that your you. Right now, not a hundred-thousand years ago. What's important is the 'here and now'. If you want to tell me about whatever this is-" He waves his hand around, as if to emphasize  
"Then you can tell me. But I want you to be happy, and live for today, not yesterday. Not tomorrow, just. Now. Alright?"

Jack nods, throat oddly tight.

Why is his throat tight? he's lived for centuries dammit. Living, dying, then being reincarnated. A different body each time, but his memories intact.

He's killed Nazi's. He's been killed by Nazi's. Hell, he was a Nazi- once. He's watched loved ones age and die. He's died, surrounded by friends and family. He's died alone. He's lived life in luxury. In slums. He's seen and done it all.

So why is he about to cry over one more person?

Is it because he accepts him without wanting answers?

What is it about this specific group of people that has him never wanting to leave?

Jack would give anything to stay with them, forever, for all eternity.

He would sell his soul a trillion times over to stay with them.

He would give up everything he's seen. Everything he's done.

Every. Single. Past. Life.

All of them, to spend this one, with these people.

The thought that one day, these guys'll die- that he'll die, and leave them behind, just to be shoved into another body, makes him want to scream until the fabric of space and time is ripped open and he can go kick the crap out of god and demand to bring them back.

He wouldn't want them to have what he has.

This curse.

These reincarnations.

He'd want to be human.

To have normal memories.

To spend all his time with these annoying, obnoxious, silly, foolish, amazing people.

He'd die. Sell his soul. Give up his past memories. Punch God. Just to stay and be a family.

But until he can figure out how, he'll just have to deal.

So he does the only logical thing that someone in his position would do.

He stretches out, leans back, and looks at the stars with his brother.

 

-


End file.
